I wrote this blog to keep notes on my daily life...some is about teaching, some about just plain normal life...who am I kidding? My life is anything but plain and normal! I hope you enjoy! I love to know who is reading so leave me a comment!!!!

As I have said before, we find many damaged things on our hikes. Here is The Boy in the tree... Another NERD in the tree...it was gross and he MADE me get in...I know what you are thinking "doesn't she have any other clothes to wear hiking?" I just LOVE this shirt! I am almost positive it was a regift from a kid in my class, but I LOVE it! Heck...it didn't have any tags on it, so he probably pulled it out of mom's closet! Oh! And I hate taking pics with my pack strapped on because it shows all my lovely body features (don't be jealous!) but SOMEONE forgets to remind me and then gets mad when I ask him to take it again!

Beautiful River...there were rafters and kayakers that day.. You probably can't see me in this picture because I am so camouflage...

On Saturday after a BIG hike (one of the best yet, I will catch up with that later) I went to Emma's dance recital. Emma is a former student turned very good friend. Actually their family is amazing and I LOVE being with them...I'm kind of like their pseudo Auntie. Emma is a ballerina through and through. She did a wonderful job and LOVES to perform. She was so excited while she was dancing...so fun to watch!

Monday, June 22, 2009

MegPie's Review: great hike...perfect length...not many people until we got to Multnomah Falls then the flood gates of Japanese tourists opened. This was the exact reason that we started at Wakeena...we knew there would be 1 bajillion people at the Mult. so we reversed our hike and came out of Multnomah falls and then it's just a half mile trail down the highway back to the car. It's a "loop" if you will.

On the way down from the top of Multnomah Falls, we had to go slow because of so many tourists. It seemed as though that hike brought a lot of different people out.

The Boy and I heard some pretty funny things from these people as we jaunted past them. As a pre-warning, it is important to know that the hike from the bottom of Multnomah Falls to the top is 1 mile. It is pretty steep and gets tiring because it is never flat...just UP!

Some of the quotes we heard that day:

Kid to his dad: "Dad, do you realize no one else is running up the hill?"

Friend to another friend: " I am really working that Voo Doo doughnut off today!" (for those of you not from around here, VooDoo is a great/eccentric doughnut establishment)

The Boy's Favorite...

Big Mama to Me as she is breathing heavily .25 miles up to the top. Please note she is on a bench. I am wondering if I shall call 9-1-1: "It's a long (breath) way (breath) up there isn't it?!?!?"

Me (not sure where this came from): "Well, actually we started at Wakeena Falls and we are on mile 5!

Big Mama: "UUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!"

The Boy about LOST it laughing so hard.

We laughed all the way down the hill...and in the car...and at lunch...and for the next week or so!

Cool half cave trail thingy...

Wakeena Falls

Many places we hike have a lot of damage due to storms and stuff...it's pretty cool

So the last day of school, the assignment was to write your 2nd grade teacher a letter about yourself so they could read it before you entered their classroom in the Fall. Many did not follow directions (weird, I know!) but some did a great job! Here are two that I LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!!I highlighted the funny parts. Alexis is the next Hannah Montana...mark my words on that.Her comment to the principal and I when asked what she would do this summer went something like this, "Well I am going to take swimming lessons, ballroom dancing lessons, probably head down to LA and audtion for a few shows and then meet the Jonas brothers. "Wow! We don't have high expectations do we?!?!

Here is the second one...and no this is not a skill I teach in my classroom. =)

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

So...yesterday marked the last day of work for me and today marked the first day of vacation! I am loving every bit of it. Coincidently...my cousin Kristin is a teacher too so we ran up to the Couve to see our nieces (they are really our 2nd cousins, but who's keeping track?!?!)

Aubrey and Adison turned 2 months old yesterday. The doctors think of them as only 2 weeks because their due date was two weeks ago...got it?!?!?

Kristin with Aubrey

Me with Adison...she has a definite "our family" lookWe helped feed and change and then scooted out for their nap...I am going to spend the night there next week! I can't wait!!!

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Last Saturday was a glorious parade day...sprinkle here and sprinkle there but nothing us Oregonians can't handle! Rose and I took her girls and their cousin to the Grand Floral Parade. For those of you not in Oregon, it is part of the Rose Festival that is a long time tradition in Portland complete with princesses, parade, dragon boat races, and carnivals! As a child, this was a family tradition. Last weekend, the memories came flooding back. It was wonderful! My favorite is ALWAYS the "One More Time Around Again" Marching Band. They are "has beens" from dance teams, baton teams, and bands. They are pretty dern cute! I am wanting to be in the dance team part, we will see when I get there! Their "famous" song is "Louie, Louie" as stated in the title this morning. I didn't get many pics as my battery started running low! Yikes!

Here is Sam and I waiting for our Starbucks drinks to return to us! Nothing like curbside service!

Here is a weirdo clown that was entertaining us while waiting for the parade to start.

This is me, Abby was the photographer...

After the parade we were starving so what better place to go then Saint Cupcake?!?!?!

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

My dear friend Mrs. Goodman (formerly known as Ms. Gluestick) is moving to Salt Lake with her new hubby...Dr. Goodman...for his residency. I said good bye to her tonight with a celebratory drink, and soup at Stanford's with her and my roomie...you remember.."The Dear Drag" (too lazy to link that for you!)

I will miss you Lisa...thank goodness for Facebook, texting, and a good long distance plan on our phones!!! xoxoxoxo

Monday, June 8, 2009

I have been dating "The Boy" for awhile now. Almost 6 months, and I have also taken up some new hobbies while dating. Okay, let's face it...I had no hobbies therefore they aren't new...they are JUST hobbies! But seriously...who wants to go hiking, camping, running, etc. by themselves? Exactly my point. So now that HE is around...WE do fun things. Most of the time.

I knew from the start he was "outdoorsy"...I can't say the same for myself. I can camp with the best of them...and run around the track, but nothing past that.

So it started with a few VERY small hikes (they weren't small at the time) and jumped to a ten miler last weekend...YES ! 10 MILES!!! We almost broke up twice...he likes to bring up one of the exact quotes I used...it went something like this...

Me: "If you take me down that hill I WILL break up with you because you are putting my life in danger! AND YOURS BECAUSE I WILL KILL YOU!!!"

So I get a little meanish when I am starving and dehydrated!!!

The premise of the story is this...he didn't exactly communicate with me exactly how far we were going...therefore we weren't prepared!!!

Below are some pictures...I left out the meanface ones. The view was GORGEOUS and it was fun times really. Awesome excercise too! Oh yes yes..where did we go you ask? Angel's Rest to the beginning of the Wakeena Falls Trail and back.

Sunday, June 7, 2009

Rose had sent me an email...she usually does. Today was a different one. It was a link to a blog she had read and thought I would enjoy it. I definitely did and went as far as asking the blogger for permission to post it.

Here it is...I think you will know what I like it so much...

Today is the last day of Kindergarten.

As much as I’ve complained about the school year dragging on interminably, it’s still hard for me to believe that an entire school year is over. As of 2:00 today I’ll be the mother of a first grader.

And if you think it hasn’t occurred to me that first grade means she’ll only live at home for twelve more years, then you have seriously underestimated all my neuroses.

It turns out that all those times I’ve held her and asked her to just stay little have not been working at all.

Cue Jim Croce singing “Time In A Bottle”.

(Seriously. I just pulled out Jim Croce.)

Yesterday her class had an end of the year party with a luau theme. Caroline has been so excited about the party and as we said our prayers the night before she said, “Dear God, thank you for controlling Mrs. C’s mind and telling her we needed to have a luau.” Because God is into mind control techniques concerning Hawaiian-themed parties.

In spite of the heat and 98% humidity, we all had a great time at the party because it’s really impossible to not have fun when hot dogs and cupcakes are involved. That’s just basic party math.

But, sadly, all good parties have to come to an end. Once the limbo contest ended and the keg was floated, it was obvious it was time to wrap things up and head to recess.

Before I left I wanted to say a few things to her teacher. I knew I’d write a thank you note, but I wanted to also say thank you in person. The only problem was I wasn’t sure I could get through it without holding onto her for dear life while crying and begging her to just follow us for the next twelve years. It’s not like she’d have to go to college with Caroline, but merely get her through high school graduation. It doesn’t seem like too much to ask of someone who was a total stranger nine months ago.

Last summer I said many prayers that Caroline would end up with the right teacher for her and when the envelope finally arrived the week before school, I opened it up and saw a name on a page that meant nothing to me. The name of a stranger who would be spending six hours a day with my child. Would she see how sweet Caroline is? Would she appreciate her sense of humor? Would she understand that sometimes she tends to overreact and have a level 9 reaction to a level 2 situation?

(By the way, I don’t know where she gets that last one says the woman in tears over the end of Kindergarten)

The answer to all those questions turned out to be “yes”. I couldn’t have picked a better teacher for Caroline’s first year of school. Mrs. C has a way of making you forget that teaching is her job and makes you feel like there is nowhere on earth she’d rather be than telling your kid for the sixth time to go wash their hands or get in line for recess. I bet if you asked the kids in her class who her favorite student is, they would all say it was them.

Yesterday I asked Caroline what she was going to miss most about Kindergarten and she didn’t say “eating paste” or “seeing how much sand I can collect inside my tennis shoes at recess everyday”. Without hesitating she said, “Mrs. C”.

I managed to hold back tears yesterday as I told Mrs. C thanks for everything she has done for my child this year. She’s taught her to love school, she’s taught her to read, she’s taught her to be kind and respectful to her classmates. She has been a gift.

I told her about my dream of having her follow us for the next twelve years and she said, “I’ll be with you. A part of me will always be with Caroline.”

And she’s right. She will always be a part of Caroline’s history. We’ll never forget her.

Not to mention I’m pretty sure that her native Massachusetts accent is the reason Caroline has begun asking for her “crans” as opposed to her “cray-ons”.

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Mother and I went to visit the A-Team, Aubrey & Adison, yesterday afternoon between their feedings. It has been insanely hot here and no one has air conditioning! The Gay's have transformed the girls' room into their cooling sanctuary!

Above is a pic of Aubrey and her Auntie Linda...

Adison on the left and Aubrey on the right...Adison is sportin her boy disguise after peeing through her diaper, onesie and Auntie Meg's shirt!

I am sweating like a donkey in this picture and I have Adison pee on my shirt...yes...she peed on me! The ultimate way to say "I love you!"